EU Naval Force - Somalia
Operation ATALANTA

On 18 November, in the early evening, a Pirate Action Group failed in its attempt to pirate the MV NORTHERN VALOUR in the Somali Basin, thanks to use of Best Management Practices.

The MV NORTHERN VALOUR reported it was under attack by pirates and been fired upon with machine guns and an RPG, approximately 400 nautical miles (750 kilometres) South East from Mogadishu (Somalia). As the two skiffs approached to within 200 metres, the vessel’s master increased speed to 21 knots, mustered all non essential personnel in a safe room and activated self-protection measures.

The skiffs, outpaced by the vessel’s speed, eventually abandoned their attack. The Antigua & Barbuda-flagged MV NORTHERN VALOUR evaded the attack and later confirmed it was safe.

This demonstrates once again that the application of all recommendations contained in the Best Management Practices booklet makes a significant difference in preventing a ship becoming a victim of piracy.